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Oita Saganoseki Fire Still Not Out as Prefecture Applies Recovery Law and City Issues Same‑Day Damage Certificates

Officials attribute the rapid spread to wind‑borne embers with expert analysis indicating a likely fire whirl.

Overview

  • One week after the Nov. 18 blaze in Saganoseki, authorities report the fire is not fully extinguished despite control in residential and forested areas.
  • Roughly 170 buildings burned across about 4.89 hectares, and at least one person died as the fast‑moving fire swept through the community.
  • Oita City Fire Department says strong northwesterly winds carried embers that caused simultaneous spot ignitions, and a fire‑science professor judged a fire whirl likely based on resident video.
  • On Nov. 25, Oita Prefecture applied the Victims' Livelihood Recovery Support Act, making households with destroyed homes eligible for up to ¥3 million.
  • Oita City began immediate issuance of disaster certificates for fully burned homes to speed aid, with about 100 people still in evacuation shelters and roughly 130 households affected.